


Victor

by Sybil_Silverphoenix



Category: Logan (2017) - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Author admits being influenced by Ray Donavan, Because Liev was awesome at playing Victor, F/M, Gen, He's NOT the antagonist!, Logan movie fix-it fic, There are mentions of the Avengers and other Marvel Super Teams in this, There is alot of cussing in this.... you are forewarned, This is basically my take on what it could've been like to have Victor Creed in 'Logan', Twist!, Victor is running an extortion/protection racket amongst the casinos of Oklahoma city, Wolverine-Sabertooth sibling relationship freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-02 22:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16313552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sybil_Silverphoenix/pseuds/Sybil_Silverphoenix
Summary: Victor is making his rounds as the Shadow Partner to every casino in Oklahoma city when he gets a surprise visit from his little half brother. To complicate things further, Logan has brought Xavier AND a twelve year old girl along with him.Just what in the hell kinda trouble has Jimmy landed himself into now?A Catagory 5 Shitstorm that's what.





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Please allow me to introduce myself…**

_'I'm a man of wealth and tastes… I've been around for a long, long year..._  
_Stole many a man's soul to waste’_

  
The Red Door casino’s kitchen is filled with the clatter of plates, barked orders from the head chef, and the sizzle/pop of the plethora of cooking foods. The staff flitters about, each in their own task as the tall, dark, well-dressed, imposing figure sweeps past. No one stops him, no one questions his presence as he stalks purposefully to his goal whilst **Sympathy for the Devil** by the Rolling Stones plays overhead. The smells are a wide ranging mix of the delicious to the chemical burn of bleach cleaners… as well as the scents of everyone within three hundred feet of his location. There are a half dozen other people further back, in the huge coolers near Receiving… and they are most definitely NOT kitchen staff.

 _‘Pleased to meet you… Hope you guessed my name!’_ The song plays loud though a bit tinny over the speakers in the back as he makes his way to the big meat cooler.

“Come on, Joe. Let me leave and I promise, on my mother's grave, I'll pay you the money I owe by the end of the week.” Comes a man's voice… a saccharine tone coating his Texan accent. The barest hint of nervousness underlying the too-friendly demeanor of a man thinking himself too slick to be in trouble.

“Now you know you've abused that trust before, Bill. You've owed me three times in as many months.” Victor Creed says in the deep baritone rumble of his unplaceable pseudo-southern drawl as he steps through the plastic ribbons of the curtain at the huge cooler’s entrance. “I'm a patient man… slow to anger.” Victor continues as he stops directly behind the wanna-be high roller. His large hands are brought to rest on the slighter man's shoulders who is seated in the middle of the large, chilly stainless steel room. As Victor flexes his fingers upon the man's leather clad shoulders, his talons lengthen to their full extent.

“You're killin’ it on the intimidation factor here, Victor. Really. The _ha_ -half cow _car_ -carcasses on hooks sells it allthewaytothebank.” Bill says then grimaces as the fear quickly takes over half way through as he feels the pin prick of Victor’s long, sharp talons digging into his skin slightly right through his leather jacket and gaudy Hawaiian shirt. “I've always… _always_ … come through for you, Big Man.” Bill quickly adds pleadingly and Victor can hear the hard swallow the man takes as he goes still… well, still enough with a slight tremor now running down his spine that travels down to his right leg.

“Billy, Billy... **Billy**.” Victor says starting out soft then finishing hard by emphasizing the man’s name in a deep, low grumble. The chilling growl that follows gets the desired effect.

“Oh Jesus. Oh God.” Bill mutters out and starts to tremble quite noticeably now. Victor grins at this flashing his extended canines to all in the cooler save the man he is currently giving a rough massage to.

“I'm not gonna kill ya here, Billy boy. Not next to my breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” Victor then says with a warm chuckle. Victor's security team follow suit laughing darkly as Victor looks around at them. Bill slowly starts to laugh as well… though his is colored more with fear and a starting hint of relief. Victor removes his hands from Bill’s shoulders as the laughter begins to settle. Victor goes silent as he turns away and then… in the blink of an eye… he snatches up the man from the metal folding chair by the back of his leather jacket, flips him overhead, and slams him face first into the concrete floor.

“You've owed me money three times in as many months. That's something I **don't** take too kindly to.” Victor growls out harshly as he straddles the now prone man's back. His growl one of displeasure.

“I know! **I know**! But I always pay you back! I will this time! I swear! **I swear**!!!!” Bill pleads frantically from his prone position. Victor's inner animal, _Sabertooth_ , rushes up at the smell of freshly drawn blood and liquid fear leaking from the pathetic man’s pants. Victor reins that side of himself in right now.

“Those other times was chump change. This is **five million** _fucking_ **dollars** we’re talkin’ ‘bout, Billy boy.” Victor growls out, his eyes bleeding from solid black back to their usual steely blue/gray. “And you may have the means to pay back chump change… but this requires more faith on my part. So start showing the correct amount of respect for your current situation… or it might just be yer last.” He growls out in Bill’s ear as he slowly rakes his claws down the prone man’s back slicing cleanly through the leather jacket and the shirt below. Billy cries out and starts sobbing. Lost to fear as he is in this moment.  
“Okay. Okay! Okayokayokay **OKAY**!!!” Billy cries out through his tears. “What do you want me to do to make this right, Mr. Creed?” The prone man's whimpers amuse Victor and his inner beast.

“Funny you should ask.” Victor says through his toothy smirk. “I could kill ya now. Slit your throat, let ya bleed out, have my boys here hack you up, and hang yer pieces on some hooks in the back... then _you'd_ be my breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next three days.”

“Oh God. Jesus fucking Christ.” Billy sobs as he absorbs the words the big, feral mutant just said to him. Victor chuckles as he smells a fresh rush of urine from the pathetic man beneath him.

“Now don't go soilin’ yourself so soon, Billy boy. You haven't heard the other options I’ve thought about.” Victor then says through his smile. Billy goes still though he sniffles every few seconds. “You see, Billy, I have come to know everything there is to know about you over these last few months. People watching **is** one of my hobbies… you can learn _so much_ from what people keep in their homes. Like for instance… what their hobbies are, their relationships, their expenses, what they eat from day to day… you get my point.” Victor says as though he is having a very calm and typical conversation when it is anything but. “And you have a _lovely_ home by the way. A _beautiful_ wife and a couple of _cute_ kids.”

“Oh God, leave my family alone, Mr. Creed, please, _I beg you_. I'll get you the money by the end of the week, I swear! Just don't hurt my family, please!” Billy pleads and begs with renewed vigor. Victor just chuckles from his straddling position over the prone man.

“Oh, yes… you're gonna pay. You're gonna start by emptying your bank account, slowly over the next coupladays. Then you’re gonna sign over the deed to your house, the titles to your cars… today by the way. Then you're gonna sign over the shares to your oil company to me. Refuse me these things… and I'm gonna pay that lovely wife of yours a visit… make _her_ pay your debt off over and over… then it'll be your lovely daughters turns. I won't stop until this fucking debt is paid." Victor says harshly with a growl then he pauses and gives a thoughtful sigh. "Or... I guess I could also just kill all of you and burn your house down. So what's it gonna be, Billy boy? Death or divesting yourself of your assets?”

“I-I’ll give you everything I own! Even my dog, if you want him.” Billy then says as he sniffles and sobs face down on the frosty concrete floor.

“I don’t want your damned dog…. I just want _my money_ so you’re makin’ a damn good choice here.” Victor says then leans down to whisper in Bill’s ear. “If you get a wild hare up your ass and decide to rabbit on me or get the law involved… well, I'll take my time killin’ your family… and I'll make you watch... Every. Last. Second.” Victor then stands and hauls Billy to his feet. “Remember… it's best not to owe me money, Billy boy. ‘Cause in the end, I always get my pound of flesh.” Victor then looks to his accountant, a prim woman who watched the entire exchange with a detached professional air, she strolls up to him. “See to the transfers, Lisa.”

“On it, Boss.” She replies then moves to Billy. That's when Victor's cell phone rings. He pulls the StarkPhone Gen10 out and answers. “Yeah.”

“Hey, Boss… there's a situation up front.” The guard says over the open line and Victor snarls his disapproval at the news. “A couple of old guys and a kid pulled up in a shot up limo. One guy is in a wheelchair, the other one says his name’s James Howlett… asked for ya by name, says you know him.” Victor cocks his left brow at this news.

“Keep them there. I'll be right up.” Victor then hangs up and struts from the cooler briskly, scenting the air as he goes. Once he leaves the kitchens behind, it doesn't take Victor long to smell his younger half brother.

Cigars, booze… alotta booze, the underlining earthy musk that's uniquely Jimmy… as well as the faint stench of death and rot. Victor frowns as he comes around the corner from the casino floor and into the motel lobby.  
There stands his little half brother… grey haired and bloodstained. The rumble of coughing comes suddenly from Logan and Victor is struck with a pang of concern deep down. Of course, he squashes it for the moment.

“What the fuck are you doin’ north of the border?” Victor says heatedly as he closes the distance. His steely gray eyes then take in the sight of the very old Charles Xavier in his motorized wheelchair, who smells of stale piss, stale sweat, and Twinkies. He smells sick as well… but not like Logan. Victor then looks at the twelve year old girl who is bloodstained but not as much as Logan and she is staring right at him through her sunglasses. The sales tag still on the side. She smells exactly like how Logan used to smell back in the day, pre-sickness, but with a more floral sweetness due to her gender.

“I need another favor, Victor. This is important.” Logan says gruffly. He sways on his feet and coughs again.

“Does this involve Caliban? Where is that albino fuckhead? I sent him to Mexico with you because he wouldn't run away unless he wanted to die in the Sonora Desert.” Victor says as he looks around for his old associate… but he's no where to be found.

“Got caught up in some shit ‘cuz of this kid.” Logan says as the only offer of an explanation.

“Yeah? What else is new?” Victor says a touch snippy then gestures for them to follow him inside with a wave of a clawed hand. They do.

“Caliban is dead.” Logan then says and that silences Victor for the moment. He sighs heavily at the news as they walk further into the casino.

“Ya sure?” Victor then asks left brow cocked just like Logan’s does.

“Metal-armed Fucker said he left him in a ditch.” Logan answers. Victor stops dead in his tracks at that.

“Did ya see a body?” Victor then asks in a low tone. His face stern, deadly serious.

“No… but I smelt Caliban’s blood-”

“That don't mean shit, Jimmy.” Victor cuts Logan off. “If these fuckers got Caliban, then that means they can track ya. And that means they're on their way here.” Victor then growls out.

“We just need to get rid of that limo, get a new vehicle, and rest up for awhile.” Logan then says as he looks at Victor sternly, or tries to before he coughs and turns his head to see the little girl stopped at a window case displaying clothes on mannequins for adults and children. Charles is wheeling his way to the elevator but turns to look at Logan.

“Dammit. We don't have time to lollygag around.” Logan says to the girl.

“We need clothes, Logan.” Charles then says somewhat pleadingly. Logan seems lost in his anger for a second… that's when Victor says…

“I've got ya covered.” The girl looks at the exchange. Victor’s steel gray eyes lock with those small sunglasses once more. His gaze shrewd and studying. Her head cocks to the side like an inquisitive puppy. Victor's left brow shoots up once more. He then returns his attention back to his brother, “Come on, I'll get y’all some new clothes.”

  
_______

  
Twenty minutes later finds the four Mutants getting into the elevator. Victor presses the touch screen button for the top floor. The girl looks at the numbers displayed curiously… then she's pressing 3, 6, and just as her skinny, little digit is about to press the 10, Victor catches her thin wrist in his big, left hand… then in a split second, she growls at him, glares her golden eyes over her sunglasses, and two adamantium claws pop out on her free left hand ready to stab. Victor just grins widely at the pint-sized slasher flashing fang.

“That's enough, goddammit!” Logan says as he grabs her left wrist stopping her movement.

“Fuckin’ knew she was your kid, Jimmy.” Victor then says to Logan. The door dings open just then. Logan hastily moves to hide the girl’s hand with the claws out.

“Take the next one. Sorry, wheelchair.” Logan then says to the three men standing in front of the elevator doors. They nod in amicable understanding and Victor hits the ‘close’ button and the doors slide shut.

“Don't touch. Not a toy.” Victor says coolly to the girl.

“Her name is Laura.” Charles says and Victor raises his left brow as he looks at the wheelchair bound old man. He says nothing then the elevator doors ding and open onto a short hall with only a single red door at the end.

“Come on.” Victor says and is the first down the hall. “Try and keep up, Wheels.” He then cracks as he strides quickly to the single door. He then pulls a keycard from the inner pocket of his suit jacket. He swipes it and punches in his personal code on the keypad. The little red light blinks then turns green and Victor opens the simple looking red door. The room inside is huge and luxurious with lots of natural light coming in from ceiling-to-floor windows which seem to be one wall of the huge room. There are potted plants everywhere! The green adding atmosphere to the otherwise stark white space.

“Kitchens here.” Victor says and waves his left clawed hand to the open white tiled area with a huge double door fridge, a six burner stove that is at the center of the island, granite counter tops all around, and a deep double sink between the stainless steel fridge and the large pantry that is hidden in the wood paneled wall.

“Fridge and pantry are fully stocked so help yourselves. Bathroom is down that way on the left. Master bedroom is at the end of the hall.” Victor then adds gesturing with his right hand to where the suite continues down a wide hall. Laura runs further into the room to look at the hanging plants and pretty red flowers blooming by the window.

“Look there's a TV. So you've got that.” Logan then says as he helps Charles from his wheelchair to the large, plush couch. Logan then turns the 75 inch TV on and hands Charles the remote. Logan then coughs and uses a handkerchief to spit the blood in. “Bathroom’s down the hall?”

“First door on the left.” Victor says to his brother and Logan stumbles down the hall after grabbing the first bottle of alcohol from the stocked bar in the corner. Victor watches him go with concern in his eyes.

“He's dying.” Charles says sadly to the big feral mutant.

“Already knew that, Cue ball.” Victor says trying to steel his voice.

“This may be your last chance to spend time with him.” Charles presses. Victor sighs.

“Noted.” Victor then strides down the hall of the penthouse suite. He goes into the master bedroom and gets a clean undershirt and dress shirt for his brother. He then goes to the bathroom. Victor shadows the threshold and watches as Logan focuses then grits in pain as the bullets slowly pop out of his chest to tink into the large wash basin of the double sink. Logan then chugs the bottle of Jameson draining the last third of the Irish whiskey. He thumps the now empty green bottle down on the granite counter top of the sink and starts rubbing a damp washcloth over his muscled chest to wipe away the blood.

“Here's some clean clothes for ya, Jimmy.” Victor then says softly. “Fuck, you look like hell.”

“Thought you were gonna start jerkin’ off there for second what with how you where starin’ at me there, Vicky.” Logan says a bit slurred as he pulls on the white undershirt.

“Nah… not into old men, Jimmy. That's more your speed now a days.” Victor retorts back with a toothy smirk. Logan chuckles which turns to a cough.

“Come on, let's get that limo taken care of.” Victor then says and the brothers head back into the large living room area.

“Me and Vic are goin’ out. Stay here and make sure Charles takes two of these in one hour. Got that? One hour.” Logan says sternly and shakes the pill bottle at Laura who had been wheeling around in Charles’ wheelchair. Logan then grabs her backpack and goes out the door with Victor right behind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated the tags :)

**Chapter 2: A Trip down Memory Lane**

Victor watches the video on the phone that Logan picked up from the murdered nurse with growing concern and smoldering rage as Logan drove the limo. Seeing those scenes… the children, who remind him of his own kids waiting back home in Canada for their father to return... he gives a low rumble of a growl.

“Goddammit.” Victor snarls and grips the pink phone hard enough to crack the screen. “Stryker’s legacy rears its ugly head yet again. I swear he's got more heads than Hydra.” He then looks out the window at the midmorning lit city.

“You'd know all about that.” Logan says in a somewhat accusatory tone bringing up Victor's time as SHIELD’s prisoner/asset which turned out to be more like Hydra’s slave what with them being a parasite hidden inside the global intelligence agency until their exposure in 2014 by Captain America. Victor turns his sharp, steel colored eyes to his brother. The old hatred flares for a moment… and he has a stray thought about how easy it would be to reach over and rip out Logan’s throat… killing him for good in his current state.

 _“Nuh-uh, Suga… Logan will always have a place in ma heart. He did save ma life more than once after all.”_ And he hears the remembered voice of the strongest woman he knows, his wife... then the old hate is gone as Victor remembers in the end he got the girl Jimmy loved the most and his brother was left hanging for once.

“Fuck you, I did what I needed tado to survive. Besides, I wouldn’t’ve been put in that situation if you and your X-Buddies hadn’t put me there to begin with… Bub.” Victor then says coolly mocking Logan at the end. “So let's just call it square with what I did to you so you could have those shiny metal claws.”

“If you wanna pay penance in full for what you did to me, then you'd have ta go through more shit than that.” Logan says more heatedly and his normally green eyes turn more honey hued.

“You think I haven't?” Victor sneers flashing all four fangs as the tempers start blazing between the brothers. “ **Four** of _my_ kids were at Xavier’s last year, only **one** came home alive. You’re lucky I didn't kill that decrepit old man myself the first time you came callin’ for help.” The snarl roughing up his voice.

“Then why didn't you?” Logan asks backing down a little in tone as they continue down the highway in the beat up limo. Victor takes in Logan’s haggard appearance and truly understands how very mortal his little brother looks. They've been together from the beginning. Yes, Victor was envious of lil’ Jimmy living in the ‘big house’ with a father who truly loved and cared for him. But that changed… because Jimmy would get sick but bounce right back in a day or two. Then there was the time in the woods behind the woodshed…

  
~☆~☆~☆~

  
_“Once we cut our palms and shake hands, we'll be Blood Brothers, Jimmy.” A thirteen-year-old Victor said to a nine-year-old James Howlett._

_“And this is how the Natives become brothers for real?” Jimmy questioned as he looked up with skeptical green eyes and tilted his wavy haired head to the right. His left eyebrow cocked up as well. Victor gave a confident smirk flashing one of his long, pointed canine teeth._

_“Heard it from a fur trapper at the tavern in town. Said this is how they do it.” Victor had answered cool as a cucumber. Jimmy gave the sharp whittling knife in the bigger boy’s hand a moment of thoughtful consideration. “Trust me… it doesn't hurt.”_ That much _. Victor had thought to himself at the time then deftly used his whittling knife to slice his left palm open in a wide gash. Jimmy’s eyes had widened in surprise as the crimson stream rushed forth. “See… didn’t hurt.” Another thoughtful look from the smaller boy with wild chestnut hair as he eyed his own palm then._

_“All’s in order, I suppose. Let's do this then.” Jimmy said confidently and presented his left hand. Victor grinned wide and slashed out in a quicksilver flash. It took a second for the pain to make itself known to the smaller boy, but Jimmy caught on fast giving a sharp hiss._

_“That hurt, Victor.” The boy growled out and gave Victor an angry glare. Victor said nothing, just gave a smug smile without showing teeth as he took Jimmy’s hand in his. Three firm shakes later and it's done._

_“Now we're Blood Brothers, Jimmy.” Victor said and watched his self-inflicted wound close up as his healing factor kicked in. It always fascinated him back then… the wonder of seeing his flesh mend itself._

_“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!” Jimmy exclaimed in surprise. “It's healing up right before my eyes, Bub!” Victor looked away from his own hand to eye Jimmy’s… and sure enough the wound was already gone. Well, color him surprised… Jimmy was just like him!_

  
~☆~☆~☆~

  
Jimmy and him had declared themselves Blood Brothers the summer before that fateful Autumn night when the truth finally came out and they learnt that they **actually are brothers** … half brothers that is. Different fathers, same mother… that's another story.

And it isn't why Victor stayed his hand one year ago.

“You know why.” Victor answers sternly following Logan’s lead in the use of civility. “I stayed my hand for _her_ … only because Marie begged me not to… even as we buried our children.” A pregnant pause follows… talking about the woman they both love is a rather sore topic between them to this day... because Rogue ultimately chose Victor over Logan. It’s his own damned fault, too.

That's because Jimmy always runs when things get rough. Logan did have Marie first, but when he left abruptly… that broke her heart, and when she sought Logan out to mend things… Logan had ran into the arms of a new woman, a Japanese woman named Yashida Mariko… and that was the last straw. Rogue was done with the Wolverine after that.

Victor isn't complaining. Rogue had actually tamed the savage Sabertooth and turned him into a family man... if you can believe it.

“You look like a complete douchebag with blonde hair.” Logan then says after a couple a minutes of silence. Victor raises his left brow and looks over at Logan.

“And you look like a washed up has been as an old man.” Victor then counters. Logan rolls his eyes at their childish back-and-forth. “Old man Logan.” Victor then says and chuckles flashing fang with his wide grin. Logan then chuckles as well.

“This the place?” Logan then asks as they come upon a fenced in, large junkyard.

“Yeah.” Victor answers and Logan turns the limo into the potholed paved drive. They pull up and get out.

“Yo, Chico!” Victor then shouts getting the full attention of the group of haggard men working here.

“Yo, Vic. Wassup?” An older, gruff looking Hispanic man says. The rest of his crew look like a hodgepodge of white and Latin biker types. They all come strolling up meeting Victor and Logan half way to the shot up limo.

“This needs to be rushed. Not a trace left. No VIN numbers, nothin’. Got that?” Victor says and pulls out his wad of 100s. He thumbs out twenty of the blue tinted bills and hands them over.

“Consider it done.” Chico says as the money is slapped into his waiting hand. Logan tosses the keys to one of the biker looking men and the two brothers walk off back to the road.

After a couple of blocks, they reach a bar on a street corner and Logan limps his way inside. They sit at the bar and Victor orders the nearly full bottle of Crown Royal and two tumbler glasses. He slaps two 100s on the counter and tells the male bartender to keep the change as he pours himself and his brother their drinks.

“So… what's the story on the kid?” Victor says then downs his glass full of the Canadian whiskey. “You're takin’ her _somewhere_. Where exactly?” He adds through the smooth burn in his throat.

Logan gives his older brother a hard glare but then he dumps the contents of Laura’s backpack out on the bar counter. The brick shaped envelope thumps on the counter and some comic books slide across the wooden surface. Victor stops the comics momentum with his left hand. He looks down at the comic version of the Wolverine on the cover then he reaches out to grab the money. He smells the blood on it before he sees it. He examines the scribbled coordinates and the words ‘North Dakota’ and ‘Eden’ on it.

“Feels like twenty grand… give or take a few thousand.” Victor says as Jimmy downs his second glass full. Logan then starts flipping through one of the comics, the one that has ‘Eden’ in the story title. “North Dakota, huh? Eden?” Victor then says and downs his second glass.

“Give me that.” Logan says and takes the money pack from Victor. He then compares the coordinates on the envelope with the ones in the comic… they are an exact match. “Son of a bitch. It's the same. Look.” Logan says and shows the comic page to Victor. The bigger feral looks at the drawings of Rogue and Wolverine on the page then at the coordinates.

“Yeah, you're right.” Victor says confirming Logan’s suspicion.

“Fuckin’ pipe dream... that's all it is.” Logan says heatedly. He then grabs the bottle and downs as much of the alcohol as he can in one go. Victor just watches. He knows that Eden isn't a made up place. He then looks down at his large golden wedding ring. It's made to look like a Sabertoothed tiger with onyx eyes holding a very large blood-red garnet in its open maw. Marie had it special made back in 2014 when they tied the knot… after the birth of their first child, of course. Victor then opens the Uber app on his phone and orders a ride.

“Time to get a new vehicle now, Jimmy.” Victor then says grabbing the nearly empty bottle and finishing it off as Logan shoves everything back inside Laura’s backpack. They step outside to find their ride waiting.

______

An hour later and Victor has bought a brand new truck, paid in full with cash, for Logan. They pull up in front of the casino and Victor orders the valet to keep it there.

“Look, Jimmy… about Eden… it’s not-” Victor starts as they walk to the double doors, but Logan stops him mid-sentence.

“Fuck. They're here.” Logan says low and Victor’s gaze follows Logan’s to see some ex-military types scanning the throng of people bustling about. Luckily they aren't looking in the feral brothers direction.

“Do what I do.” Victor says and throws an arm over Logan’s shoulder and laughs like Jimmy just told him the funniest joke ever. They get past the outside detail. As soon as they do… it’s like the whole world shudders. Everyone jitters in a semi-frozen catatonic state.. everyone but the feral brothers. Vehicles start crashing and they are the only ones able to move albeit like they are moving through molasses.

“Fufufuck.” Victor says as the pounding pulse in his brain thrums. Him and Logan stagger through the casino floor to the elevators which open blessedly as they reach them. Victor hits the penthouse floor and up they go.

The doors ding and open. Victor looks right into the face of a sentry. He lets his animal side swell up and push against the telepathic hold. Eyes blowing to blackness, Victor strikes out slashing the sentry’s throat viciously. Logan stumbles out of the elevator and starts lumbering down the hall. Victor turns stands up straight, though swaying, then launches himself into a dash on all four limbs. He passes Logan who is clinging to the wall with his claws then hits the floor and leaps up a little off course causing him to be slightly off target when he gets to the sentry at the penthouse door.

Both are taken to the ground from the force of impact, only Victor rises after slashing that Reavers’ throat out. Victor then looks inside and sees a full team of a dozen mercs scattered about the large suite’s living room. Logan stumbles in still using his claws in the wall to steady himself. Sabertooth gives a mighty roar, eyes black as pitch, claws fully extended, and spit dripping down from his mouth and wicked canines. Victor makes for a truly fearsome sight indeed. The Reavers all slowly turn their eyes to look to the savage monster that has come upon them. Fingers creeping down to triggers as they push to turn their bodies through the telepathic thrum to deal with this threat… for Death is upon them and they are reminded of that prehistoric, primal fear Man once held for the massive saber-toothed cats that stalked them so long ago.

He uses his rage to push him forward to the closest Reaver. A gouging slash to the throat, and that one just stands there bleeding out. Logan stumbles/lounges at the next one, taking him out with six claws to the chest to puncture both lungs. The two feral brothers work a bloody path through the suite until Logan reaches Xavier first. Laura crawls up behind him with the emergency syringe in hand. She passes it off and Logan sticks Charles in the neck and administers the epilepsy medicine.

And in an instant the Reaver team collapses dead… or mostly dead, since one struggles to sit up and pull his gun. Laura stabs him in the eyes and roars at the fallen foe.

“Time to get.” Victor says after looking around at the carnage they are leaving behind. Laura grabs their stuff and puts it in Xavier’s lap. Victor hurries to his bedroom to retrieve his passport and other IDs as well as a gun which he tucks into his waistband at his lower back. The four Mutants then hurry to get out of the casino. As they cross the casino floor, Charles is weeping with guilt and apologizing to everyone he sees.

“I'm drivin’!” Victor says and goes for the driver’s side. Logan gets Charles in the back seat, Laura climbs over the front passenger seat to reach the back. Logan then gets in… as he does, he looks across the parking lot and sees the Reaver caravan, mainly the big armored truck they use where that blonde, metal armed fuckhead, Donald Pierce, is hanging out the passenger door… with a cocky grin.

“That the fucker? “ Victor asks with a sneer as he looks out his window.

“Yeah.” Logan says gruffly as he gets in and Victor peels out of there like the devil is on their heels.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the road...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad to see the responses I'm getting for this story. A big thank you to everyone who clicks on this story :D
> 
> Enjoy :)

**Chapter 3: Dysfunctional Family Trip**

  
Five hours on the road with music low and listening to ol’ Cue ball ramble on about ‘speciation’ had Victor ready to climb a fucking wall. Wait a second? Did Xavier just say what he thought he heard?

“Foot claws? The kid’s got _foot_ claws?” Victor asks drawing his attention back to the conversation.

“Yes, Laura has a single claw that is retracted in each calf that comes out through her feet. It's a purely defensive attribute of her mutation… and is due to her gender.” Charles repeats.

“So if Jimmy here had been born a girl… he'd have those foot claws as well?” Victor then asks with a wry smirk.

“Yes, I believe so. Same would be true if Logan had had anymore children that were female… especially if they manifested his particular mutation. Even any of your children may also manifest it as well since the two of you are brothers.” Charles then adds and Victor gives those words a thoughtful _humph_. His youngest kid, a daughter named Justice, reminds him of Jimmy most days in looks as well as attitude… but she’s only three right now, still a ways off before her X-gene manifests… if it ever does.

“Speaking of discoveries…” Logan starts then pulls the X-Men comics from Laura’s bag. “Read these in your spare time?” He then questions as he turns to look at Laura whilst holding up some of the comics. Laura says nothing, she just stares at the haggard looking Logan quietly. “Oh, that's right, Charles… we've got ourselves an X-Men fan here.” The sarcasm is thick in his quickly escalating angry tone. He then looks back to Laura.

“Logan.” Charles says to calm his angry friend down.

“You know these are all bullshit, right? Maybe even a quarter of it happened… and not like this.” Logan then says seriously as he flips through one of the comics. Shaking his gray haired head as he does so with a look of contempt upon his haggard face.

“Logan. She's just a kid.” Charles then says with a touch of exasperation. But Logan just barrels on through.

“In the real world… people die.” Logan says harshly as his golden/green gaze returns to the twelve year old girl in the back seat. “And no self-promoting asshole in a fucking leotard can stop this!” Laura glares at him now. “This…” Logan shakes the comics for emphasis. “Is ice cream for bed wetters!”

“Knock it off, Jimmy!” Victor snarls and turns his head to glare at Logan who stares hard right back.

“I don't think Laura needs reminding of life's impermanence, Logan.” Charles then says tiredly.

“Really? Then what does she need to be reminded of, Charles?” Logan says giving an expectant _hum_ at the end waiting for the Professor’s scholarly reply.

“Family, friends, home, a sense of belonging, purpose in her life. All things you needed at one point, things you still need reminding of now.” Charles then says and Logan huffs turning in the passenger seat to look out the window in his frustrated manner. The minutes tick by and Charles starts to doze.

Victor sees this as his opportunity to finish what he started to say to Logan earlier that morning.

“Look… Jimmy. There's something I was trying to tell you back at the casino. It’s about Eden.”

“That bullshit again?” Logan huffs out. Annoyed.

“Eden… it's re-” Victor starts to say but is cut off by the radio station breaking from playing music to give a news report.

“The incident at the Red Door Casino and hotel in Oklahoma city this morning where over four hundred guests and employees were stricken with a temporary paralysis that left several injured and at least three dead remains unexplained. Federal authorities have noted a similarity to the Westchester incident over a year ago in which over six hundred were injured and killed several mutant children including seven of the X-Men.” Logan growls as he quickly turns the radio off. He remembers that incident clearly…

  
~☆~☆~☆~

  
Logan was in a mood. Victor's oldest son, Kyle aka Wild Child, had retaliated viciously against his sparring partner, the Richards boy, Franklin. Luckily, Logan had managed to stop things from getting too far out of hand, but that wild, blood thirsty look in Kyle’s steel grey eyes had reminded him too much of Victor's spiral into savagery.

After a heart-to-heart and letting the feral boy know where he stood, Logan had decided to get away from the school for the evening. Go to the local bar and kick back some whiskey. Try and take the edge off the old painful memories… memories from the Seventies and more recently.

That's when it hit…

Like a fucking freight train barreling down the tracks... on fire... with no brakes. The world seemed to shudder. Logan fought through it… saw the bar tender shaking and groaning as she was nearly frozen in place pouring his glass of whiskey unceasingly until the bottle emptied and the amber liquid had spilt on the floor. Logan looked around, seen everyone else in a similar state.

He hurried from the bar, He nearly fell face-first on his way to his bike then drove fast and furiously back to the school. The drive was shaky. He nearly wrecked several times. He even seen various car accidents on his way.

When he got back, Logan slid to a stop and ran up the front steps collapsing before the large wooden doors. He pushed them open and seen some of the students standing around in mid-stride, blood trickling from their noses. He raced down the wood paneled halls stumbling into a table at one point and knocking the vase to the floor.

“Un-Uncle Logan!” Kyle had cried out as he too struggled through this… both trying to reach the Professor’s Office. Logan was the first to enter. Kyle crawling in behind him. There was Charles in his wheelchair grunting and shivering in the on-slaught of his epileptic fit.

Logan knew what to do. Hank had put in place emergency measures due to the on-set of Charles’ degenerative brain disease... epileptic dementia. The anti-seizure medicine was located in a drawer in the Professor’s desk. Logan gets it. Uncapped the syringe. Then plunges it into Charles’ shoulder. The shuddering stopped suddenly… and both Logan and Kyle collapsed.

It took barely a minute before the two ferals were back to 100%... and that's when Logan noticed it. The school was silent, no heartbeats beyond theirs and the still unconscious Xavier. Kyle noticed just as he did. The boy’s steel gray eyes widened in horrific understanding.

“Anna! The twins! No!” Kyle said mentioning his younger siblings and bolted.

“Kyle wait!” Logan shouted after the fifteen year old… but it was too late. It was too late for all of them... except those who could heal from anything and everything. Logan called 911 and then heard Kyle’s scream of despair.

  
~☆~☆~☆~

  
Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. The annoying sound draws Logan back from that tortured memory. Click. Click. Click. It's really starting to grate on him.

“Knock it off!” Logan snaps at Laura turning around in his seat to glare at her.

“She's a kid, Logan. She's just doing what children do.” Charles says waking up from his short nap looking sad and just as haggard as Logan.

“Yeah? Well it’s pretty fuckin’ annoying.” Logan says heatedly.

“Language, Logan!” Charles rasps more than yells.

“What? She can gut a guy but can't handle a few naughty words? Thank you, Captain America for that moral foundation.” Logan huffs out.

“She can learn to be better.” Charles states.

“Better than me, you mean.” Logan grouses and Victor chuckles. “Don't you start.” He says heatedly to his older brother. Click. Click. Click. “CUT THAT OUT!!!”

“Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy.” Victor starts and clicks his tongue in a judging manner at his brother. “You've gotta know how to talk to kids. Don’t yell at her for starters.” Click. Click. Click. Victor then adjusts the rearview mirror to look at the little girl behind him. “Laura. Sweetheart. Please stop.” And she looks at him through the reflective rectangle… and stops. “See, Jimmy. More bees with honey.” Victor says smoothly with a fanged grin.

“Fuck you.” Logan grumbles.

“Logan.” Charles chides.

“When was the last time you took your medicine?” Logan then says gruffly to his old friend.

“I don't know.” Charles gripes and pauses for a moment. “Two days.” He then answers a bit deflated.

“Jesus fucking Christ. No wonder that happened.” Logan says frustratedly with a shake of his gray haired head.

“I was trying to help… to save Laura.” Charles tries to explain… weakly.

“You didn't help… you freaked out and had a fuckin’ seizure!” Logan snaps then gets two pills of the epilepsy medicine out. “Here. Take these. Now!” Logan demands as he hands back the pills to Charles who promptly takes them and sips at his bottled water. “I wanna see.” Logan then demands as he turns around and Charles opens his mouth wide and sticks out his tongue petulantly.

“I suppose you prefer me pharmaceutically castrated. That makes things so much easier for you.” Charles complains.

“There's nothing easy about you, bub.” Logan then says sarcastically. Victor just listens to them bicker like an old married couple. All the while with a smirk upon his bearded face.

“Do you honestly derive no sense of purpose from what we are doing here?” Charles then says in disbelief at Logan’s grumpy mood.

“No, I don't.” Logan huffs out sounding rather agitated by the whole situation in those words. Victor's left brow goes up.

“We are helping a young mutant… who is very much like you. In fact, she’s your-”

“She's nothing to me.” Logan snaps cutting Charles off before he can finish stating the obvious and a silence falls in the truck. Victor’s growl breaks it as his large hands grip the wheel a little tighter.

“You fucking little shit!” Victor snaps and looks at Logan with intense steely eyes. “No wonder Marie wouldn't take you back. If I'd said that about any one of my kids… Rogue’d punched my ass so hard, I’d've landed at the North Pole.” He then snarls. And it's true, especially since Rogue had touched Captain Marvel back in 2012… to save Victor’s ass of course. It was barely two months before the Battle of New York.

“If you hadn't twisted her mind and heart against me, then Marie would've-”

“What? Waited for you to finish fucking that Japanese Frail?” Victor cuts Logan’s argument off at the knees. “That's your problem, Jimmy… you always run away… and ya can't keep it in your pants around a pretty frail _in need_.” Victor finishes.

“You’re like the rest of the world… always blaming someone else for your boring shit, Logan.” Charles says heatedly adding in his two cents. Actually, honest to God cussing for a change. Victor has a laugh at that, full heartedly.

“Hit the nail on the head there, Cue ball.” Victor says with a wide grin.

“Yeah, yeah… laugh it up.” Logan grumbles. There's some automatic beeping coming from the Autotruck that is in the right lane signaling to merge left. This puts it into a collision course with their truck.

“Watch it, you son of a bitch!” Logan yells out his window at the driverless vehicle.

“You're yelling at a machine, Logan.” Charles says in a corrective tone.

“Fuck!” Victor says as the Autotruck merges over thus pushing their truck off the road onto the shoulder then the median. Victor manages to control the near-disaster and bring them to a stop in the grassy dip of the median. Another truck with a horse trailer was also forced off the road. The trailer door opening and the four horses within get loose. They run about nervous in their fear of the activity on the road as several more Autotrucks beep their horns and race past on their automated journeys hardly slowing.

“Let's go.” Logan urges Victor who is relaxing his iron grip on the steering wheel.

“Those people need help.” Charles urges.

“Someone will come along.” Logan says a bit harshly.

“Someone already has.” Charles then says with a gentle firmness.

“Fuck it. Why not? We're already stopped.” Victor says as he gets the truck into position to cross the road. Once they do, Victor parks the truck and gets out with Logan. Laura follows both men as they head over to the distressed family.

“When did you become Mr. Nice Guy?” Logan asks teasingly.

“When I fell in love with Marie.” Victor says giving his brother a fanged smirk. It has the desired effect of silencing Logan. Victor is then careful to retract his claws in as much as possible. They're still an inch long and pointy, but as long as he doesn't shake hands or draw attention to them… they should go relatively unnoticed.

“Can we help?” Logan then says but suddenly the four horses calm down and come trotting over to the back of the horse trailer. Almost as if by magic. Even this family of strangers finds this odd. Logan gives a knowing/disapproving look back over his shoulder at Charles. Victor doesn't care, less work, less hassle.

“Yeah… actually, we do.” The father says to the approaching men and girl. Victor and Logan then work together to push the truck with the horse trailer still attached out of the ditch. Victor could've done it himself… but it's best to keep up appearances. In a matter of minutes, both families are ready to get back on the road.

“Thanks for your help, Mr…?” The man says drawing out the last in question.

“Name’s James. This is my brother, Victor. My daughter, Laura… and that's my father, Chuck. We're the Howletts.” Logan says introducing them to the new family.

“I'm Will Munson. This is my wife, Kathryn, and our son, Nate.” The man says in greeting as his wife walks up to them.

“Why don't you folks have dinner with us? To show our thanks.” Kathryn says friendly to Logan and Victor.

“We really gotta get back on the road. Thanks anyways though.” Logan says trying to turn down the offer.

“That would be lovely!” Charles says from the backseat of the truck.

“It'd be no problem at all. We live a few miles from here and you folks can get a hot, home cooked meal. Better than fast food.” The wife insists.

“Well… I can't turn down an offer like that.” Victor says with a smile careful not to show teeth.

“That settles it then. Just follow us.” Will says to the ‘Howletts’.

“Really? Can't ‘turn it down’, Victor?” Logan says keeping his voice low as him, Victor, and Laura walk back to the truck.

“What? I'm starvin’, Jimmy. And I know you are too, plus the kid.” Victor says as they buckle in. “Once we're done eatin’… we leave. No worries.”

“Okay. That means we aren't stayin’ the night.” Logan then says to Charles who looks a little grumpy in the backseat as they follow the Munsons.


End file.
